The boys testicle had twisted 540 degrees, which cut off its blood supply

The lack of blood supply had caused severe tissue death.

His parents noticed something was wrong earlier this month after he started walking awkwardly with a limp.

By the time he was checked by doctor Chen Guangjie, from The Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, his testicle has twisted 540 degrees from its spermatic cord – the blood vessel connecting it to the rest of the body.

The organ was extremely swollen and had even burst open at its base slightly because of the pressure.

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The condition is known as testicular torsion and it can happen after an injury to the scrotum or following strenuous exercise.

It is most common in boys aged 12 to 16, but it can occur at any age.

Doctor Chen told Liang Liang’s parents that there was “no value” in retaining the boy’s testicle as it had died – meaning it could no longer be used.

What is testicular torsion?

Testicular torsion occurs when a testicle rotates, twisting the spermatic cord that brings blood to the scrotum.

The reduced blood flow causes sudden and often severe pain and swelling.

Testicular torsion is most common between ages 12 and 16, but it can occur at any age, even before birth.

Testicular torsion usually requires emergency surgery.

If treated quickly, the testicle can usually be saved.

But when blood flow has been cut off for too long, a testicle might become so badly damaged that it has to be removed.

Symptoms:

sudden, severe pain in the scrotum

swelling in the scrotum

abdominal pain

nausea and vomiting

unusually high testicle

pain while weeing

fever

Cause:

It is not clear why it occurs.

Most males who get testicular torsion have an inherited trait that allows the testicle to rotate freely inside the scrotum.

Testicular torsion often occurs several hours after vigorous activity, a minor injury to the testicles or sleep.

Cold temperature or rapid growth of the testicle during puberty also might play a role.

Complications:

When it is not treated it can cause damage or death to the testicle due to blocked blood flow.

In some cases it can cause infertility.

As the testicle is the organ responsible for producing sperm, any damage to them can impact a man’s ability to have children.

Source: Mayo Clinic

It was also discovered that Liang Liang, from Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang Province, was suffering from bilateral cryptorchidism, which means his testicles had not properly dropped into the scrotum after birth.

As a result, it had remained partly inside his body and may have contributed to the testicular torsion he suffered.

Doctor Chen said the ordeal means Liang Liang’s ability to have kids in the future has “most certainly been compromised”.

It is now unclear how well he will be able to produce sperm, if at all.